


online

by bluesargayent



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer, Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 02:11:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11681844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluesargayent/pseuds/bluesargayent
Summary: Before their stories began, Artemis Fowl and Richard Gansey spent countless hours researching online. It was only a matter of time before their paths crossed.





	online

When Artemis was eleven years old, he found himself in an interesting position. It seemed that he had information in which a certain American was interested, and the same American possessed information Artemis needed.

As with most people in such a predicament, Artemis decided to propose a trade.

Although he had often run into this person during his online research, he had never actually met this man in person. He preferred to keep it this way. Typically when businessmen discovered his age, they would pick him as an easy target (which wasn’t true but was quite annoying). Thankfully, the other party agreed.

They set up a secure route and traded their information.

A typical business transaction, albeit with nontypical goods.

Artemis returned to hunting for some way to save his parents.

 

That same year Artemis came up with an idea. Of course, this was not an idea he would ever voice aloud. No, it was too ridiculous to reveal if he didn’t have the evidence to support it.

It had started when he tried to recall a pleasant memory of his father. He was hating how difficult such a memory was to find. Then he remembered a bedtime story they had shared when he was younger. A man had tried to kidnap a leprechaun and relieve it of its golden treasure.

At this point in his short life, with people coming at him at all directions to collect his father’s debts, a pot full of gold was rather appealing.

He began to wonder what the man did wrong, how close the man had gotten to the fairy treasure.

How close _he_ could get if he had a shot.

If fairies were real, of course. He couldn’t assume that was a given fact.

Coincidentally, he began seeing user “Gansey” pop up again on various online forums.

 

Richard Gansey III came from a very respectable family. He had respectable parents, a respectable sister, and a very respectable house.

However, his constant talk of an ancient king named Glendower soon began to dig at this persona. While his parents had initially tolerated it, they eventually had a chat with their son about dialing back his enthusiasm.

He very reluctantly agreed.

Of course, online, he needn’t be so careful. There he openly discussed his search with anyone who might help him. Sometimes he would trade information with a Sir Jouner (a pun on the word sojourner Gansey quickly recognized and appreciated). Other days he would communicate with an Englishman who seemed equally a fascinated as Gansey himself with the lost king.

As the month dragged on, he began running across Sir Jouner more and more often. Every once in awhile, Gansey would inquire as to how his search was going (because he was obviously searching for something, even if he wouldn’t reveal what it was). The replies came back less and less cold every time.

One time, after Gansey had returned from a wifi-free family vacation, he had found a concerned message asking if he was okay, that he hadn’t been online in a while. He smiled before explaining his situation.

 

At one point, several months passed between conversations. Forgetting himself temporarily, Artemis accidently let slip that he was looking for some sign of fairies. He sat and waited for Gansey to reply.

When he did, he ignored the slip in favor of asking whether Artemis thought ley lines or oak trees growing at a river bend were more impressionable to magic.

Artemis gave a sigh of relief before rolling his eyes at himself. Why should he care what a random stranger on the internet thought of him? He also partially rolled his eyes at Gansey and his ley line obsession. Artemis recognized their significance, but the magic provided by ley lines seemed to be static, whereas he was much more interested in the dynamic nature of ancient oaks.

 

Gansey had grown rather fond of his mysterious fairy-obsessed friend. As they continued to talk, it became clear that he was much younger than Gansey, though he tried to hide it. Gansey didn’t mind; he often was the younger one in most serious conversations. He was also, like Gansey, extremely rich.

He did more than humor Gansey when he talked of Glendower, but also gave suggestions or linked him to ancient texts he thought Gansey might find useful. Gansey did his best to return the favor. They would talk most nights (sometimes Gansey had a precalc test to cram for and couldn’t chat very long) about different theories. They would recount their latest efforts to track down their respective obsession and give feedback on things they could try differently.

Until Christmas came.

Gansey opened his laptop to discover that he had a message from Sir Jouner. 

_Give up your search. It’s not what you think. You don’t know what you’re dealing with._

He sent a questioning message back, but never heard from the mysterious fairy-seeker again.

Of course, that never stopped him in his hunt for Glendower.


End file.
